1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to an entertaining apparatus for a child, and more specifically to an entertaining apparatus transitional between at least two different operational configurations, while also being easily collapsible for storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Child activity or entertainment devices (i.e., entertainers) are well known and are intended to provide a comfortable and secure environment for a child, while also being a source for entertainment and stimulation for the child. Given that young children are rapidly developing mentally, as well as physically, continued stimulation and interaction is considered vital in the continued physical and mental development of the child. Therefore, entertainers provide many benefits to the child, while also provide peace of mind to the child's caretaker, that the child is safe and secure.
Many conventional entertainers include an upper tray area defining a circular opening for receiving a seat, which supports the child. The tray may be elevated over an underlying support surface via a plurality of legs. The tray may include toys, games, or other items for entertaining or occupying the child.
While entertainers have been widely used for entertaining a child, there are various drawbacks associated with conventional entertainers. One particular drawback is that the entertainer is typically usable in a single operational configuration, which includes placing the child in the seat to allow the child to interact with the items on the tray. Conventional entertainers are typically not configured for use in other operational configurations, particularly operational configurations with the child outside of the seat. Most entertainers tend to be large and bulky in size, and therefore occupy a lot of space, which may be difficult to justify, particularly in smaller spaces, when the entertainer can only be used in a single operational mode.
Another drawback with certain existing entertainers is that they may be difficult to store. As noted above, the entertainer may include several legs coupled to the tray. While certain entertainers allow for the legs to be collapsed against the tray, the process of collapsing the legs may be difficult.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved entertainer, configured for use in more than one operational mode, and which is easily transitional to a collapsed configuration for storage. Various aspects of the present disclosure address this particular need, as will be discussed in more detail below.